chocolate dessert contest

Each year there is a "Chocolate Dessert or Treat" contest at the Bullitt County Fair.
It's different that the other entries of baked goods, because the judges are tasting and scoring the goodies as we watch.

Last year was the first time I entered, and I walked away with the 1st place blue ribbon and fifty dollars!

This year I had a hard time coming up with something unique and delicious.  I finally settled on entering this Double Chocolate Mousse Cake.  It has a brownie-like cake layer, then a layer of chocolate mousse and I topped it with sweetened whipped cream and grated chocolate. 

Appearance is judged as well...here are a couple of nice looking entries....

I think this was chocolate chip chocolate cake...

Not sue what all this one had...but after the judges tried it, I could see it had liquid chocolate in the middle.

Now here is my friend, Linda with her contest entry. I knew she would bring in something really good. She is also in one of my quilt groups and she's always bringing in a yummy dessert to share with the group.

The three judges had it lucky this year.  They were inside an air conditioned plastic tent - inside the un-air conditioned building. 

That guy in the middle really liked my cake...he kept taking more bites!

Nine people entered the contest.  

When the judges had scored all the entries and points were added up...two of the desserts were taken back in the tent...these candies that Linda made (chocolate with peanut butter and white chocolate chip filling)...and also my cake!

Linda and I asked, "what's going on?", and we were told there was a tie.

Well, we were all excited because we thought we were tied for first place!

But no, it turned out we were tied for second place...and Linda's candy won the extra point.

I got the third place ribbon....and twenty dollars in prize money!

Which makes me pretty happy!

After the judges left, we Homemakers who had desserts in the contest, slipped inside the air conditioned tent and taste tested each others entries in the name of research and education. 

We concluded that everything was delicious! 

 On the back left in the photo above is Barb, who won first place, with an all chocolate Boston Cream Pie (behind that water bottle on the left).  

 After having a taste, I have to admit that she deserved the ribbon. Her dessert had a simple and good chocolatey flavor, the cake was light and moist and the filling was smooth and creamy. 

Hope I can somehow get a copy of her recipe!